Rooms Available at the Hotel Hurst in Maquoketa, Iowa

Like many towns here in the Midwest, there are a number of unique architectural buildings near downtown. Maquoketa, Iowa located in the eastern portion of the Hawkeye state boasts a few historic structures from long ago. This one retains its former name, Hotel Hurst while offering 21st century town dwellers comfortable residential living as apartments for seniors I think. If the walls could talk they might reveal how and why the building was constructed but more importantly the many stories from hotel visitors when the town depended on rail for their connection to the world.

Microwave Radio Transmission Relays in Iowa

Hello? Can you hear me? Chances are that the cellular phone that you use to talk to your blogger buddies are supported by traditional land lines, cellular towers and microwave relay towers like this one in eastern Iowa. These towers are placed on hills and generally aimed at other towers located in line of sight. This particular tower is newer than most and placed in a partly wooded area by the Maquoketa Caves State Park. Hopefully the hibernating bats don't get mixed up signals as they take to the skies after their winter nap.

Iowa's Last Grasp of Winter

Today's temperatures soared into the upper 30s. Snow started melting a few days ago and is expected to disappear by the end of this week. No problems here. At the Hurstville Lime Kilns near Maquoketa I found this field corn that someone left for the area wildlife. Corn is an icon of Iowa. I thought the juxtaposition of colors made an interesting photo.

Winter's Dam on the Maquoketa

To begin the 42N 2014 blogging season I traveled a few miles up the highway to the old dam on the Maquoketa River located at Monticello, Iowa. Last year's blog activity saw a ready stream of posts until a self imposed slowdown in November. While I broke my one-more-blog-posting-than-the previous-year routine, the pause did rack up more material that I can blog about this year. So let's get started...

For more than 100 years this structure and its predecessors have provided grist milling,ice and electrical power for the city. Today the area is noted as historical and for its fishing magic just below the cascades.

A historical view of the dam taken in the 1920s shows various units of the power plant configuration during its peak production period. The stone ice house building, closest to the photographer, was for storage of river ice used in households in the community.

She's Made of Iron, Sir! I Assure You...

There’s a bridge on Iron Bridge Road in southeast Jackson County, Iowa. Yes, its made of iron, some 440 feet of it spanning the mighty Maquoketa River. Built in the 1950s the truss bridge connects hilly topography to the east to a broad plain to the west – most likely the ancient flood plain. At last count (2009) some 220 vehicles pass over the structure daily near Spragueville. 

On this day the bridge served as a photography subject and a land connector for the 42N crew. The water level was low but surprisingly clear. The site below the bridge has been added to the fishing spots to try for next season. And unlike the movie, Titanic as referenced in the title, there are no icebergs on the river or encroaching on the land - for now.